Mount Sinai’s “Vaxmobile” marks 5,000th dose of Covid-19 vaccine

When standout student-athlete Spencer Smith arrived at the Washington St. parking lot of Town of Hempstead Town Hall Friday (August 6) morning and received his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from Mount Sinai South Nassau Vaxmobile, unlike winning a championship, this was a historic occasion that he never expected to be a part of.

Before Vaxmobile staff and Town of Hempstead officials, the 17-year-old of Hewlett (NY) received the commemorative dose from Nurse Practitioner Amber Vitale in recognition of 5,000 vaccinations provided by the Vaxmobile. "I am doing this to keep myself, family and friends safe when I return to school and the high school Fall sports season begins," he said. The celebration was also marked with a cake of the Vaxmobile as well as a banner heralding 5,000 vaccinations.

The "Vaxmobile," a mobile vaccination unit funded via the federal CARES Act through a grant issued by the Town of Hempstead, has been visiting communities throughout the Town of Hempstead to provide COVID-19 vaccines free of charge since late March. The primary mission of the unit is to deliver vaccinations to eligible residents of the Town of Hempstead, eliminating barriers to vaccination, including transportation, mobility, language or health, and bring vaccines directly to hard-hit and other communities. Appointments are not required.

The handicapped-accessible mobile unit is staffed by a bi-lingual clinical team from Mount Sinai South Nassau, including a nurse practitioner, licensed practicing or registered nurses, registrars and community health education professionals. Mount Sinai South Nassau has partnered with local school districts, senior centers, pools, parks and local government to encourage residents to get vaccinated and the Vaxmobile has made more than 35 stops in local communities, operating five days a week.

All vaccines administered at the Vaxmobile are to residents who meet the eligibility requirements as determined by the New York State Department of Health. More information can be found on the hospital's website www.southnassau.org or on Facebook @MountSinaiSouthNassau. Organizations interested in scheduling a visit for eligible residents may call the Town of Hempstead at (516) 812-3678 or send an email to VaxMobile@snch.org.